So Damon Sims, vice president for student affairs at Penn State, came up with a solution. Working through a formal anti-drinking partnership with the town of State College, they approached local bars.

"We asked if they might agree to an arrangement which would allow for an alcohol-free experience on State Patty's Day," says Sims. More than three dozen downtown businesses said yes.

In exchange, Sims says they'll get a check from the town and the university.

"The Partnership Against Dangerous Drinking is making $5,000 payments to each of those establishments," says Sims.

That's about $190,000 in payments. The bulk of the money comes from parking revenue earned from previous State Patty's Days. But $5,000 doesn't cover the profits some bars would earn. Backers argue this is about more than profit.

"What I was excited about was everybody was able to put their individual needs and views aside to benefit State College and Penn State," says Jennifer Zangrilli, the director of operations at Dante's Restaurants and president of the Tavern Association of State College.

Not everyone was happy about signing on, though.

"None of us in our company agree with the policy," says Tom Baron, president of Big Burrito Restaurant Group, which owns a Mad Mex restaurant and bar in downtown State College.

As more businesses signed on, Baron says he felt pressure to do the same.

"We knew that we'd make enemies with the township and with the university, and we didn't want to be that way," he says.

Baron says his employees are trained to handle rowdy guests, and he worries that partyers will take their State Patty's Day celebrations somewhere less safe. Local police say they're ready for that and will have extra patrols at apartment complexes and other places where parties may relocate. And, as always, they'll be on the lookout for underage drinkers.

"It just seems like they're really trying to control us too much," says Penn State freshman Kevin Fischer. "I'm still going to go out."

It's not just current students upset by plans to rein in State Patty's Day. Justin Eleazer, a 2006 Penn State graduate, lives in State College and says this is more about the university's image than safety. "And since [university officials] gave themselves several black eyes in the last year, they're trying to clean up this," says Eleazer.

Still reeling from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Penn State has launched a campaign to burnish its image. But school officials say they were concerned about State Patty's Day well before the Sandusky issue came along.

The big question now is whether paying bars and stores not to sell alcohol on State Patty's Day will work. If it does, in future years the university and borough hope to turn State Patty's Day into an official celebration — one that is about more than just getting drunk.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

St. Patrick's Day is three weeks away but tomorrow, near the campus of Penn State, there's a similar celebration. It's called State Patty's Day. For many students, it's just an excuse to get drunk and party. Well, this year, the university and town officials are trying to discourage participation, so they're paying stores and bars not to sell alcohol. NPR's Jeff Brady reports.

JEFF BRADY BYLINE: State Patty's Day started in 2007 when the official holiday landed during Penn State's spring break. Students organized an alternative that has grown into an annual tradition. There's even a State Patty's Day rap.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG)

RAPPER: Saturday night, I'm totally wasted, my friends from out of town are being arrested, trouble bustin' in from out of state and I can't even get me a Shamrock Shake.

BYLINE: State College Police Chief Tom King says State Patty's Day attracts college students from all over the region and that has become a problem.

TOM KING: It's our busiest 36 hours of the year, busier than football games, busier than the arts festival, busier than any other time. And it's busy with the fights, physical assaults, sexual assaults, drunk driving, vandalism, people throwing up and urinating in people's yards.

BYLINE: The vice president for student affairs at Penn State, Damon Sims, came up with a solution. Working through a formal anti-drinking partnership with the town of State College they approached local bars.

DAMON SIMS: We asked if they might agree to an arrangement which would allow for an alcohol-free experience on State Patty's Day or at least a 24-hour period that includes State Patty's Day.

JEFF BRADY, BYLINE: More than three dozen downtown businesses said yes. In exchange, Sims says they'll get a check from the town and the university.

SIMS: The Partnership Against Dangerous Drinking is making $5,000 payments to each of those establishments.

BRADY: That's about $190,000 in payments. The bulk of the money comes from parking revenue earned from previous State Patty's Days. $5,000 doesn't cover the profits some bars would earn, though. Jennifer Zangrilli heads the Tavern Association of State College. She says this is about more than profit.

JENNIFER ZANGRILLI: What I was excited about was everybody was able to put their kind of individual needs and views aside to benefit State College and Penn State. Not for the short term, but I think for the long term.

BRADY: Not everyone was happy about signing on, though.

TOM BARON: I will say that none of us in our company agree with the policy.

BRADY: Tom Baron is president of a chain that includes the Mad Mex restaurant and bar in downtown State College. As more businesses signed on, he felt pressure to do the same.

BARON: We knew that we'd make enemies with the township and with the university, and we didn't want to be that way. As a matter of fact, just talking to you and probably being on the air will cause conflict.

BRADY: Baron says his employees are trained to handle rowdy guests and he worries partyers will take their State Patty's Day celebrations somewhere less safe. Local police say they're ready for that and will have extra patrols at apartment complexes and other places where parties may move to. And, as always, they'll be on the lookout for underage drinkers.

KEVIN FISCHER: It just seems like they're really trying to control us too much.

BRADY: Kevin Fischer is a freshman at Penn State.

FISCHER: My plans I had, they don't get cancelled. I'm still going to go out. Obviously, I'm going to limit myself more. There's no chance of me getting not good enough to be able to walk home from downtown 'cause you don't want to risk getting caught by cops.

BRADY: It's not just current students upset by plans to rein in State Patty's Day. Justin Eleazer is a Penn State alumnus who lives in State College.

JUSTIN ELEAZER: The university doesn't like the image that it gives. And since they gave themselves several black eyes in the last year, they're trying to clean up this.

BRADY: Still reeling from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Penn State has launched a campaign to burnish its image. But school and town officials say they were concerned about State Patty's Day well before the Sandusky issue came along. In future years, they hope to turn State Patty's Day into an official celebration, one that is about more than just getting drunk. Jeff Brady, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.